Energy Consumption Patterns, Environmental Sustainability and Human Development Outcomes in Iran

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
Mohammad Hassan Tarazkar 1
Navid Kargar Dehbidi 2
Effat Ghorbanian 1
Azar Sheikhzeinoddin 1
1 Department of Agricultural Economics, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran.
2 Department of Economic, Social and Extension Research, West Azerbaijan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center (AREEO), Urmia, Islamic Republic of Iran.
10.48311/jast.2026.16869
Abstract
A major goal of this study was to document how renewable and non-renewable energy consumption is related to human development in Iran. For this purpose, all variables were tested for structural breaks using the breakpoint unit root test. Additionally, long-run relationships are examined using the Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds test. The outcomes of the diagnostic tests showed that the panel ARDL model parameters were stable, predictable, and reliable in the long term. Significant positive and negative relationships were found between renewable and non-renewable energy consumption and the Human Development Index (HDI), respectively. Additionally, the elasticity of renewable energy consumption was lower than that of non-renewable energy consumption. Human development in Iran has also been enhanced by CO2 emissions. Conversely, economic growth and increased trade transparency would lower the HDI in Iran. To improve human development in Iran, energy consumption as well as clean energy production and consumption should be considered.
Keywords
Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag
Human Development Index
Non-renewable energy
Renewable energy
Subjects
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Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Volume 28, Issue 3
May and June 2026
Pages 521-535